As parents in the workplace, there is a collective sigh as school buses roll and summer becomes a distant memory. While the past couple of months have had moments of high intensity preparing for vacations, family activities, and arranging child care, the constant pace of school was absent. With August here, the tsunami of lunch prep, homework, school events, and extracurricular activities is ready to crash into your already overloaded work schedule.  Feeling sleep deprived yet?

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month. The topic is an especially personal one for me as my mother has suffered from the disease for over a decade. Caring for her has been a challenge since she has only on a few occasions acknowledged having issues with memory or cognitive ability. With the help of friends experiencing a similar journey with their loved ones, resources like The 36 Hour Day, and developing more patience than I ever knew I could possess, it has been manageable. My wife and children have been a tremendous support system as well.

I felt a little like a teenage girl seeing Justin Bieber in public. Okay, maybe not that extreme. But I was excited. I was at the Salt Lake City airport awaiting a connecting flight to Las Vegas. I happened to look up the concourse and saw someone who looked familiar. As he walked closer I realized it was none other than Al van der Beek, one of the members of the musical group The Piano Guys. In previous blogs I've written about how much I enjoy their positive music and the value they place on faith and family. I've even got premium seats for their upcoming concert in Raleigh NC. Now here was one of the members of the group just a few feet away!

This past Saturday found me in a typical dilemma... too much to do and not enough time. My oldest daughter was home for Easter, my younger daughter wanted to go turkey hunting, and I had numerous things I wanted to get done around the house. While normally I would let the other stuff go to spend time with my family, there were a few things I could put off no longer.